Disappointment
by StarfireRocks
Summary: Emma has longed for the comfort parents provide all her life, but now that she has a family, it's more difficult than it should be. How is it that Henry can bond with them perfectly, while she's left stuck on the sidelines? Maybe Prince Charming can fix that.


**This is just a little Once Upon A Time one shot that I wrote to give David and Emma some bonding. We all know that they need to show a little more love to each other in the show!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

Henry laughs as David skillfully avoids his wooden sword. David is laughing as well, as I practically _see _the twinkle in his eye - so like mine - that indicates how much fun he is having, playing with his grandson. Of course, he's young enough to be Henry's father, another confusing twist among the many that now make up my life. What happened to the simple - lonely - days of being a bails bondsman? Oh yeah, they were stomped on and thrown away like yesterday's trash.

I love getting to know my son, and everyday I kick myself for giving him away. Yet I know it was to give him his best chance. For this very same reason, my parents sent me away. The two situations aren't exactly on the same scale though. At least Henry was in the same world as me.

I smile as Henry manages to land a hit to David's arm, and he cries out victoriously. I find myself doing this - watching them - more frequently every day. There's just something about how easily they interact with each other that's just strangely endearing to me. Deep down I know it's because this is the interaction I've been longing for my whole life. Even watching it happen between David and Henry is foreign to me.

I can't stand it anymore. I push off from the counter I have been leaning against for the past fifteen minutes and make my way to the room I share with Henry. I sit on the bed heavily, placing my head in my hands.

It's not until I hear the telltale creak of the stairs that I realize someone must have followed me. I'm expecting Henry, so when I lift my head to greet him, I am taken by complete surprise when I see David nervously standing in the doorway. I lean back and stare at him, barely registering how rude this probably was.

"Hey," he says quietly.

I nod and run my fingers through my hair. This is obviously uncomfortable for the both of us, so why had he followed me up here? It would've been much easier for everyone if he had just remained downstairs.

"Done fighting with Henry?" I ask mildly.

"Yeah," he confirms, standing oddly stiff. "He's getting pretty good. Tiring the old man in me too fast."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "'Old man'?" I repeat. "Please. You're anything but old."

"Well, apparently I'm old enough to have a twenty-eight year old daughter and an eleven year old grandson."

"Hm, I guess you're right. You are old."

David laughs, but it's strained and dies out quickly. I decide to help him out a little bit and scoot over, patting the newly formed space beside me.

He hesitates, studying my expression but I keep my face blank. Finally, he slowly walks forward and sits next to me on the bed. I avoid looking at him, but I feel his eyes on me. It's awkward, and I want nothing more than for him to look away or leave.

Instead, he just watches me, as if waiting for something. "Looks like Henry really likes learning to sword fight with you," I say, just to fill the silent void that envelopes us.

David's expression brightens. "Yeah. I've always wanted a son that I could teach things like that to. . ."

He trails off as if realizing how inappropriate it is to talk about wanting a son in front of your _daughter_. My eyes close tightly against my will, and I turn my face away from him.

"Emma - "

"It's okay," I whisper.

"No, I didn't mean . . ."

"It's fine." Just shut up. Please, just shut up and leave me alone. The longer you stay, the more salt is rubbed onto the wound. Go back to Henry. Forget about me. You have before.

"Emma, I did want a son, but when Snow - "

"It's fine!" My eyes fly open and I jump up from the bed. I cross my arms tightly and face the wall, resisting the urge to shove the hair away from my face. "Really. It's okay. This isn't the first time I've been a disappointment. Trust me."

I hear a rustling that signifies that David has stood up, and then there's footsteps. Everything falls silent and I know that he's left the room. I can't stop the sob that escapes me, and I press a hand to mouth as I begin to cry. I'm usually much better at repressing my emotions, but things have been so. . . strange lately that I'm too overwhelmed to care much about my tough reputation.

I jump as a pair of arms pull me into a hug, and I realize that David had never left the room. I don't protest as he holds me, unable to deny myself the comfort that a father provides after so many years of dreaming and longing for it. I cry into his chest and cling onto his jacket, and to his credit he doesn't push it. He doesn't tell me lies to try and get me to stop crying, nor does he say anything at all until my tears dry.

When he does speak, it takes all of my willpower to stop myself from bursting into tears again.

"You're not a disappointment, Emma. Look at everything you've accomplished! You have a wonderful son - who even though wasn't raised by you, has every bit of your bravery and stubbornness. You broke the curse and saved us all, and even slayed a dragon to save Henry's life. You even knew Tamara was up to no good before anyone else, and didn't give up on it even when we didn't believe you. Now does that sound like a disappointment to you? Because it certainly doesn't sound like one to me."

I pull away from him and scrub my eyes with the sleeve of my jacket, sniffling.

"Thanks," I murmur, staring at the floor. "Moment of weakness. Won't happen again."

David places a hand on my shoulder and I reluctantly meet his gaze.

"Emma, you don't always have to guard your emotions. We all need comfort sometimes. All you need to do is ask."

I nod and relax minimally, unable to deny that I felt better after his pep talk.

"You're a strong young woman who's cable of everything a son would've been and then some. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

**Kinda short, but I just needed to write some more Daddy Charming. Plus I never like how he always wanted a son. It bugged me. Review!**


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